Winding Down

Is it perhaps telling that I literally did a jig last night when Tabby informed me that as there are only a couple of weeks left in the school year that there would be no more take-home books or homework? Literally, a jig.

Don’t get me wrong. I really love school and learning and all that jazz. I do.

But this school year has been super grueling for us. The start was pretty dicey, losing my mom just a month into the school year. It set us up for months of malaise and unusual circumstances. Then just as we were starting to get over the shock of it all (we are still not, nor do I think we ever will be over it), we made the crazy decision to sell our house and build a new one … and move 20 minutes from the kids’ schools in the process.

So it has been quite the slog to get it all done. And by all, I mean 2/3 of it. Homework has been late, multiple times. Tabby has probably actually read only 3 or 4 take-home books since the beginning of the new calendar year (you can get a new one every night if you turn in the one from the day before). They are not compulsory and she is great about reading on her own, so I’ve decided I don’t really give a darn, but a small part of me worries how flaky we’re always looking to her teacher. Oy.

Despite all of this upheaval and craziness, I feel like both kids have made huge progress academically this year. Tabby is reading several grade-levels above where she needs to be and comprehending a full grade-level above where she needs to be and her math skills and reasoning skills have advanced by leaps and bounds. Ben is reading lots of words and doing simple addition. He recognizes numbers into the hundreds and his reasoning skills and self control are much improved. It is awesome awesome to see their little brains ticking along so well.

Alas, my relief is short-lived. In just two weeks, we start the new accelerated summer music lessons and it’s going to be nonstop music at our house as they do four normal lessons in one week! Tabby is taking the summer off karate so we can still enjoy the beautiful weather and the somewhat more relaxed pace.